Is it a crush?Henry down!

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"Hello!I'd like one room please!One with three beds,a decently sized bathroom and-!Oh we'll be staying for awhile to!"
Melody said brightly,the inn clerk frowned skeptically,
"That can be arranged.How long is awhile kid?"
Melody placed her finger on her chin,
"Hmmmm~awhile!"
Gabriel sighed,adjusting his hold on Henry,who was still passed out.The jars in his pack rattled and shook impatiently,
"Quiet down!We're getting there!"

Gabriel said sternly.Poppy and Tobias had been ready to suffocate every soldier they saw after seeing the state their son was in.Melody paid for the spaciously clean attic room and they went to go check it out.
"Wowza!So big!"
Melody flopped down onto one of the beds,spreading her arms out.Gabriel nodded,placing Henry on one of the beds,taking his coat and boots off.Gabriel rummaged into the bag,bringing the syringe out.
"If this doesn't fix him,we're gonna be stuck with Henry being higher than the galaxy."
He carefully pressed the syringe into Henry's arm,stepping back when he was done.

His appearance was now relaxed and silent.His blonde hair was messy and unkempt though,his hands were still blistering and swelling.Gabriel rummaged through his bag again and started to bandage his friend's hands.Melody watched with interest,sighing.She knelt beside the bed,her chin in her arms.Henry breathed in and out quietly,dozing away without a care in the world.

Melody stood up,placing her arms behind her head,
"I'm gunna go shopping for stuff,need or want anything?"
"I'm gunna need more bandages and an ice pack,he's got a fever now."
Melody nodded,and then suddenly shouted angrily,
"What's up?"
"All my money's gone!"
Gabriel frowned and then smiled,
"Don't be angry,just use mine.I might've. . .saw Fletcher's men. . .going through your. . .stuff."

"Telling me sooner would've helped huh?"
Melody said demonically,
"B e i n g s a f e a f t e r e s c a p i n g i s m o r e v a l u a b l e t h a n y o u r m o n e y ?"
Melody left,mumbling about how she'd stick her microphone up any soldier's ass who dared to steal from her again.Gabriel watched as Poppy and Tobias rolled after her,making a pitter patter sound.He turned back to his friend,leaning into his hand.
"Your quite lucky aren't you?Sleeping soundly under the influence of hallucinogenic drugs?"
Henry stirred slightly,mumbling something.
"Gesundheit,cover your mouth when you sneeze."
Gabriel said jokingly.Henry stirred again and rolled over.

Gabriel reached out,moving Henry's hair from his face.At the motion,Henry suddenly grabbed Gabriel's hand,holding it tightly.Gabriel's eyes widened,as he held his wrist,a searingly agonising pain erupted from his skin.He watched as his skin began to melt from his bone,Gabriel cried out and pulled his hand away,scrambling away from the bed.

He looked down,wincing at the damage.He quickly looked at Henry's sleeping body as he moved.So this is what Henry had been talking about.Not caring that his hand was in literal agonising shreds,he shuffled back to the bed.Reaching out,he bought the other boy to him,holding him closely.
"What am I doing!?"
Whatever it was,he didn't care.He felt a strange closeness to Henry at that moment,hugging the boy closely to him.He looked at his melted hand and closed his eyes,
"Cauterise."

A small,painless fire enveloped around his skin,stitching the remains back together.Gabriel had a different kind of pyrokinesis.Once his hand was healed,he properly held Henry close to him,warming his body temperature up.
.

.

.
"Ok!Lets head back you guys!"
Melody said in a businessman like tone.The jars rattled and shook in the paving beside her,the three continued to move back down the path from the markets and back to the inn.Of course people turned in shock when they saw her casually walking with brown paper bags in her arms.
"Shut up man!That's Morrigan's kid!"
"Why is she here?"
"She's lookin' a bit suspicious don't you think?"
"Get her outta here!Our town's gunna get overrun!"
"Shut up you idiot!She could sing you to death if she wanted to!"

The whispers of negative and mixed opinions set Melody's hair on edge.She was used to being recognised in numerous towns like this but something was wrong here.The whispers felt cold and hanging over her shoulder like a dead goose.Her anxiety was cut off as someone suddenly ran into her,causing her to drop her purchases.She fell back,almost landing on Tobias's jar.

"Aw shit. . .hey!What's the big deal huh!?"
Melody spat rudely,she saw a man sitting in front of her,he was wearing a black button up with cargo pants and black trench boots.He smiled warmly,a bit too warmly for Melody's liking.He stood up and reached out,
"Sorry miss!Let me help you. . ."
The pause at the end sent chills up Melody's spine.Her eyes widened in horror when she saw the Fletcher crest pin on his sleeve.Melody quickly kicked his hand away and picked up her things,ignoring the whispered that followed her,running away as fast as she could.A soldier?Here!?Seriously!?

"I am not moving again!I wanna stay!We need to be careful ok guys?"
Melody said hurriedly to the jars in her arms,they both made clicking noises and rolled around in her arms.She quickly and stealthily made her way back to inn,didn't bother to check in and rushed to her room.
"GABRIEL LET'S TALK STRATEGY!"
The jars rolled out of her arms and rolled to Henry's bed,jumping onto the sheets and snuggling up to him.Gabriel turned and nodded,
"Hey?You ok?Didn't forget anything?"
Melody collapsed onto the small couch and shook her head,
"A soldier's here.Maybe a few.I'm sick of constantly being chased everywhere Gabe!I know I can't change anything about it since I'm a wanted kid but-I want some closure."

Gabriel nodded,crossing his arms,
"I get what your saying.I've just written to Dad.I hope I know what I'm getting into Melody."
Gabriel rummaged into the bag,pulling out the stuff he'd need for Henry's fever.He walked over to the bed,placing an ice pack on his head,
"Melody?"
"Y e a h ?"
"What. . .exactly is your plan to defeat Fletcher?"
Gabriel asked timidly.Melody stood up and stretched.

"No one knows where his final base is.There's about thirty to forty built and implanted around the entire country.Just like my home Redvill city,he also has those security monitors built around the country.Probably here to but I haven't seen any.My plan to end his rule though?Well everyone has a weakness right?Even Anthrolus Fletcher.And it's music."
"Huh?"
"Apparently music can psychologically keep you from going insane.Did you know that?Music unites and holds us all together like a strong glue.Since I came of age,I can hear a symphony reverberating from the people around me."
"Really?"

Melody smiled peacefully,nodding.
"Yours sounds like a piano,but at times it gets extremely loud and deafening.Is that when your angry?"
Gabriel shrugged,
"I rarely get properly mad to be honest."
"I can easily channel any person's soul symphony.Fletcher could see. . .how sad and scared he truly is.I could drive him mad with the snap of my fingers."
"You can't do it now obviously?"
"Of course I couldn't do it captain obvious!"

Melody said hastily.She tilted her head at Henry,sensing something strange emitting from his body.Gabriel turned,
"What is it?You gunna drive Henry mad as well?"
"Nope!His tune has changed.It was a sharp violin this whole time since I've met him but. . .it changes occasionally.It's changed once or twice when your around him.People's songs can change,but not so much."
"So like?My piano would normally change it's pitch when there's a change of emotion?"
"Exactly.But our drugged precious Henry is one of the very rare few that can change instruments when they feel different."

Gabriel walked over to the bed,picking up the ice pack.
"What's happened now?"
Melody smiled,moving her hair behind her ear,laughing slightly,
"It's a music box.He's feeling great relief,safety and. . ."
Melody's purple eyes widened as she giggled,turning away,
"Wait what!?What is it?Tell me!"
"And ruin the surprise?Hush."
Melody said cheerfully,placing a finger on her lips in a shushing gesture.Boy oh boy.she couldn't wait.Couldn't wait to send Fletcher mad and into a nut house.

Ahem,eheheh Mel's Mel's going insane?Who knows🤫See you next time!Next on Utopia's end;The offspring's problem!Enter Skye Fletcher!wHo iS tHiS mAn?

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